


The Bed Time Story

by merryholidays



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, One Shot, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:21:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27204448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merryholidays/pseuds/merryholidays
Summary: Ellie thinks back to one of the many memories of Joel
Kudos: 13





	The Bed Time Story

"Alright kiddo, you gotta sleep in your bed tonight alright?" Ellie opens the door to JJs room as he begins to whine, "But, how about I tell you a story, a story about your grandpa." She lays him down and pulls the blanket up to his chin as she sits at the edge of the bed, JJs already smiling. 

"Everything alright in here?" Dina pokes her head in.

"Yeah, yeah I'm just gonna put bub to bed and I'll be there in a sec." 

"Ok."

"Goodnight mama!" JJ waves as Dina leaves the room.

"So where were we... Your grandpa was a uh, he was a difficult man that's for sure but he was the best man I knew." She stares off and smiles, "He taught me a lot of things, one of those things being how to swim and that's tonights story." Ellie was already giggling at the memory, "Your grandpa use to push me across lakes and rivers on these huge pieces of wood and boy was he old, so it was his idea to teach me how to pull my own weight. It wasn't too long after we got to Jackson that these 'lessons' started, if you can even call them that..."

The Lesson-

"C'mon this is dumb, I don't know the first thing about swimming, what- what if I drown huh? What then?" 15 year old Ellie crossed her arms.

Joel rolls his eyes, "You are not going to drown, now put your bag down over there and c'mon." He chuckles. He kicks his shoes off and walks into the lake, Joel starts showing off by swimming laps before looking at Ellie from the deep part, "Well? Are you just gonna stand there or are ya gonna join me?"

"I don't know, I kinda like being dry." She smiled. 

"Either you get in here or I throw you in here." Joel starts swimming to shore.

"Ok ok, no need to get violent." Ellie throws her arms up in defeat and slowly makes her way into waist high waters.

"Violent? No ones being- Just get in here!" 

"I'm in!... Now what." 

"Well you gotta start by learning how to float, c'mere... Now you're gonna wanna lay on your bac-"

"Lay on my back? You're trying to kill me aren't you?" Ellie yells, surprised.

"Can you just trust me? Jesus..." Joel rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Don't remember Sarah being this difficult."

"Yeah yeah, zip it old man, I already told Cat what to do if anything happens to me."

"Will you just lay back already." Joel puts his hand on Ellie's back, "You're not gonna go under, I've gotcha." 

Finally, Ellie (reluctantly) leans into Joel's hand until she's laying flat against the water. 

"Ok, ya see? You just gotta have a lil faith kiddo, now just, just start kicking your legs, slowly now." Joel smiles warmly, "You got it, you're doing great." He guides her as she slowly starts floating around.

"I don't see why you can't just push me around everywhere." Ellie joked.

He shook his head, "And what about when I'm not around to push you?"

"You're like my butler, I won't have to worry about that for a while." Ellie scoffed. 

"You notice something?" Joel crossed his arms.

"What?" Ellie answered, staring at the sky as she gently propelled herself away from her starting point. She hadn't even noticed that Joel's hand had left her back and she was now doing this all on her own. She hears Joel chuckle and slightly turns her head to see him a few feet away from her at this point.

"Holy shit Joel! Am I floating? There's no way I'm floating." 

"You sure are kid, now I'm gonna help you out again ok? I want you to stand and follow me." He guides her to the deeper part of the lake.

"Soon I'll be able to beat you in a swim race too, slowpoke." Ellie giggled, "I'm already faster on foot."

"How long are you gonna brag about that?" 

"Til the end of time, slowpoke." 

"Yeah yeah... Ok the waters getting pretty deep her so be care-" 

"Pssh, I am a pro at this whole swimming thing." She splashes water at Joel.

"Oh? So you won't be needing my help then?" 

"I never said that... Hey! Get back here I can't go that far!"

Joel starts laughing at Ellies panic and grabs her hand, "Arms flat, gentle kicks... There ya go! Alright I'm gonna let you go now alright?"

"Mhm." Ellie stared at the water.

Joel backs up but Ellie stays in one place, kicking her feet and staring intensely at the water. 

"Dina told me I should try not to panic, so I am not panicking, I am calm, I am calm."

"Boy, we're going to be here a long time..." Joel laughs.

And that they were, eventually Ellie did manage to swim 1 full lap after many, many, many hours filled with both her stubbornness and childishness.

"Ok c'mon swim back to shore." Joel called as he picked up his bag. Of course Ellie decided to speed her way to shore. 

"How was that? Pretty fast right?" She pulled herself out of the water.

"That was great."

"Maria told me about the olympus? These games where like the best of the best would compete." Ellie threw her bag on.

"The Olympics." 

"Yeah whatever, anyways, after today I think I'd win the olympics, 100%."

"You think you'd beat professional swimmers after only a day of swimming?" Joel scoffed.

"Hey!" Ellie punched Joels arm, "Seriously, how'd I do?" 

"You did great for only a day, I'm proud of you kiddo," He messes up Ellie's hair, "And just between us two? I don't even think you needed me." They walk into the forest laughing and joking on each other on their way back to Jackson.

-

Ellie looks down at JJ, now asleep, and leans down to kiss his forehead before making sure he's snug in bed. She stands and wipes the tears from her eyes before leaving and quietly shutting the door. She stands there, her hand still on the knob and sighs, her breath shaky. Two familiar arms wrap around her and hug her tight. 

"It's good to have you back..." Dinas head rest against Ellies back. 

She turns to put her arms around Dinas shoulders, letting herself cry for the first time in god knows how long. Ellie was happy, she'd found her purpose in life, and it's all thanks to Joel, as she held Dina all she can think of is how she wished she could thank Joel, thank him for taking her out of that hospital when he did, thank him for caring when she'd thought no one else did but most importantly she wished she could apologize for all the lost time and the memories that could have been but weren't. 

"It's good to be back..." She whispered.

"Let's go to bed, stupid." Dina wiped Ellies tears and grabbed her hand. 

Ellie giggles, "I love you..."


End file.
